Japan is facing a rice crisis as prices of its most popular main food have nearly doubled over the past year amid rising inflation and a shortage of supply.
Government data released on May 23 showed that rice prices in Japan in April increased by 98.4% compared to the same period last year, after increasing by 92.5% compared to the same period last year in March.
The increase in rice prices has put pressure on Japanese consumer spending as well as affected support for Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and his ruling Liberal Democratic Party.
Emergency measures such as exploiting government rice reserves have failed to reduce rice prices, which have risen to 5,000 yen (about $35) for 5kg of popular Koshihikari rice this May.
According to Japanese media, prices of other types of rice reached 4,200 yen (about 29 USD) in early May.
We dont know why we cant push prices down. First, we will find out how much rice is and where it is, Ishiba told the Japanese parliament in this week's question-and-answer session.
Tim Harcourt, chief economist at the Institute of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), told Al Jazeera that there are a number of factors that continue to put pressure on rice prices.
One is the situation of rushing to buy rice due to rumors of a super earthquake. Second, the wheat shortage due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict has caused many people to buy rice instead of wheat. Three is the recovery of Japan's tourism industry and the boom of the hotel service industry increasing demand for rice.
The shortage is also related to the unusual summer of 2023, causing Japanese farmers to have an ineffective harvest.
Faced with rising prices, restaurants across Japan and many consumers have given up buying locally grown rice and started buying cheaper imported rice.
Al Jazeera said that if not controlled, Japan's rice crisis could impact Prime Minister Ishiba's position before the parliamentary election at the end of this year.
This week, Agricultural Minister Taku Eto was forced to resign after saying "never buy rice" donated by supporters.
Subitioning Mr. Etu, Mr. Shinjiro Koizumi shared on May 23 about the goal of bringing rice prices back to about 3,000 yen (about 20 USD) for a 5kg bag of rice.
